Anxiety Free: iCan Hypnosis is an app that teaches you how to hypnotise yourself into a more relaxed state of mind and alter your subconscious. It was developed by hypnotherapist Donald MacKinnon, and aims to reduce everyday anxiety, tension, and stressors, all which can have negative impacts on our health and relationships.
Panic Relief uses empirically supported methods to help those suffering from panic disorder. Recommended by the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), it comes in two versions: the free one lets you try the progressive muscle relaxation of the arm skill, but, for just $0.99, you can also get access to techniques related to square breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and diaphragmatic breathing.
Breathe2Relax is a similar app, but this one focuses on breathing as a way of managing stress. It’s been developed by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology and has personalisable programmes that can help with fight-or-flight responses, mood stablisation, anger control, and panic attacks.
MindShift is an app specifically designed for adolescents, teens, and young adults in a bid to help them manage symptoms of social anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and anxiety disorders like generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). There are two things we love about this app. The first is that it can be tailored to the user’s specific needs; and the second is that it has special sections such as ‘Quick Tips’ to help you deal in the moment.
Dare: Panic & Anxiety Relief is a multi-award-winning app that gives you advice on how to deal with specific anxiety-inducing situations such as intrusive thoughts, public speaking, fear of flying, and even driving. It does this through 100s of audio files that help calm you down, as well as daily challenges, meditation guidance, and more.
Of course, these apps are great for day-to-day management of panic, stress, and anxiety, but they do not replace medical professionals. It’s important to speak to a licenced professional if you feel that you are not coping.
Organisations like the Richmond Foundation can offer help: https://www.richmond.org.mt/. If you’d like to learn more about this topic, check these five simple ways you can lighten your stress load.
